MudSnakes
11-16-2004, 12:07 PM
Originally Posted by By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com (http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/tor/news/tor_news.jsp?ymd=20041114&content_id=913583&vkey=news_tor&fext=.jsp), 11/14/2004 2:20 AM ET
Wells wins MVP after stellar series
TOKYO -- Vernon Wells took one glance at the car that came along with winning the Most Valuable Player award of the Japan All-Star Series and a haze crossed over his face. The gray Acura had the steering wheel on the right side because the Japanese drive on the left side of the road.
"I don't know what I'm going to do with it," said Wells, who went 3-for-4 in Sunday's 5-0 Major League Baseball victory over the Japanese that closed the series, including a double, two-run homer and infield single.
No worry. The car that was parked in foul territory on the artificial surface of the Tokyo Dome is not the one that will be delivered to him in the U.S. He'll receive a westernized version with the steering wheel on the left side. But the big plastic and gold car key they gave him was a keeper.
"Nobody has asked me to give it back," Wells said when asked if he was going to take the souvenir home.
The Toronto Blue Jays center fielder, batted .407 (11-for-27) while playing seven of the eight games in the series, contributing two doubles, the two homers, seven RBIs and seven runs scored. He beat out David Ortiz, whose two-run homer Sunday was his second of the series and Jake Peavy, who earned his second win in as many starts on Sunday as MLB won the series, 5-3.
Wells also was given a check that, when converted from Yen, was worth about $20,000. Japanese third baseman Akinori Iwamura won the Fighting Spirit Award as the MVP of the losing team. He played all eight games and batted .440 (11-for-25) with three doubles, a triple, three runs scored and four RBIs.
It was Iwamura's tying double in the ninth inning of Game 7 on Friday night in Nagoya that helped send the Japanese on to a 3-2 come-from-behind win. But it was Wells' steady presence in the MLB lineup that kept the Major Leaguers going when Boston's Manny Ramirez left the team after the first three games because of a sore left hamstring.
"I heard a rumor what the (MVP) prize was going to be and coming into the series, everyone wanted to be that person to win it," Wells said. "I knew that if everybody played like an MVP there's no doubt we were going to win the series. Luckily I was singled out of the group. I was blessed and happy I'm that person. It's going to be great to have another car around when I get home."
Wells had a major impact on several games in the series. He went 3-for-4 in last Sunday's 7-3, Game 3 win in the Tokyo Dome, including a homer, double and a single. The homer came just behind Moises Alou's fourth-inning two-run shot. MLB hit back-to-back homers twice in that game.
"To watch him on a day-to-day basis you get a chance to see just how good he is," said Bruce Bochy, the MLB manager on this tour. "He plays both sides of the ball so well -- offense and defense. And he had some huge hits for us in this series."
The 25-year-old Wells was an American League All-Star in 2003 when he batted .317 with 33 homers, 117 RBIs and 215 hits in 161 games. All his numbers went down (.272, 23 homers, 67 RBIs in 134 games) this past season when he missed time on the disabled list because of a strained right calf.
Wells said that his performance in the All-Star series gave him a great opportunity to put his face on the baseball map.
He played for a Blue Jays team that lost 94 games last season and finished last in the AL East.
"I think this will do a lot to bring up my image," Wells said. "But we've got to play better in Toronto. That would be the biggest difference."
With Blue Jays first baseman Carlos Delgado having filed for free agency and most probably changing venues, Wells knows the focus is going to be on him next season.
"I don't see it as pressure," said Wells, who's only played three full seasons, all with the Blue Jay. "I'm sure I'll be looked at a little more. That's something you take on the more years you have in the big leagues. That's the best part of being the leader. You have to take on that responsibility. I'm looking forward to it.
"It's going to fall on the shoulders of a few of us. We've already talked about it. Whether he's back or not we'll have to step up and change some things around in Toronto. Create a winning atmosphere like they had back in the early 1990s."
******
Congratulations to Vernon. I hope he can stay healthy and keep it going through next year.
Wells wins MVP after stellar series
TOKYO -- Vernon Wells took one glance at the car that came along with winning the Most Valuable Player award of the Japan All-Star Series and a haze crossed over his face. The gray Acura had the steering wheel on the right side because the Japanese drive on the left side of the road.
"I don't know what I'm going to do with it," said Wells, who went 3-for-4 in Sunday's 5-0 Major League Baseball victory over the Japanese that closed the series, including a double, two-run homer and infield single.
No worry. The car that was parked in foul territory on the artificial surface of the Tokyo Dome is not the one that will be delivered to him in the U.S. He'll receive a westernized version with the steering wheel on the left side. But the big plastic and gold car key they gave him was a keeper.
"Nobody has asked me to give it back," Wells said when asked if he was going to take the souvenir home.
The Toronto Blue Jays center fielder, batted .407 (11-for-27) while playing seven of the eight games in the series, contributing two doubles, the two homers, seven RBIs and seven runs scored. He beat out David Ortiz, whose two-run homer Sunday was his second of the series and Jake Peavy, who earned his second win in as many starts on Sunday as MLB won the series, 5-3.
Wells also was given a check that, when converted from Yen, was worth about $20,000. Japanese third baseman Akinori Iwamura won the Fighting Spirit Award as the MVP of the losing team. He played all eight games and batted .440 (11-for-25) with three doubles, a triple, three runs scored and four RBIs.
It was Iwamura's tying double in the ninth inning of Game 7 on Friday night in Nagoya that helped send the Japanese on to a 3-2 come-from-behind win. But it was Wells' steady presence in the MLB lineup that kept the Major Leaguers going when Boston's Manny Ramirez left the team after the first three games because of a sore left hamstring.
"I heard a rumor what the (MVP) prize was going to be and coming into the series, everyone wanted to be that person to win it," Wells said. "I knew that if everybody played like an MVP there's no doubt we were going to win the series. Luckily I was singled out of the group. I was blessed and happy I'm that person. It's going to be great to have another car around when I get home."
Wells had a major impact on several games in the series. He went 3-for-4 in last Sunday's 7-3, Game 3 win in the Tokyo Dome, including a homer, double and a single. The homer came just behind Moises Alou's fourth-inning two-run shot. MLB hit back-to-back homers twice in that game.
"To watch him on a day-to-day basis you get a chance to see just how good he is," said Bruce Bochy, the MLB manager on this tour. "He plays both sides of the ball so well -- offense and defense. And he had some huge hits for us in this series."
The 25-year-old Wells was an American League All-Star in 2003 when he batted .317 with 33 homers, 117 RBIs and 215 hits in 161 games. All his numbers went down (.272, 23 homers, 67 RBIs in 134 games) this past season when he missed time on the disabled list because of a strained right calf.
Wells said that his performance in the All-Star series gave him a great opportunity to put his face on the baseball map.
He played for a Blue Jays team that lost 94 games last season and finished last in the AL East.
"I think this will do a lot to bring up my image," Wells said. "But we've got to play better in Toronto. That would be the biggest difference."
With Blue Jays first baseman Carlos Delgado having filed for free agency and most probably changing venues, Wells knows the focus is going to be on him next season.
"I don't see it as pressure," said Wells, who's only played three full seasons, all with the Blue Jay. "I'm sure I'll be looked at a little more. That's something you take on the more years you have in the big leagues. That's the best part of being the leader. You have to take on that responsibility. I'm looking forward to it.
"It's going to fall on the shoulders of a few of us. We've already talked about it. Whether he's back or not we'll have to step up and change some things around in Toronto. Create a winning atmosphere like they had back in the early 1990s."
******
Congratulations to Vernon. I hope he can stay healthy and keep it going through next year.